6 reasons why hiring a graduate intern could be great for your organisation

As a business, have you ever thought about the expansion of your workforce by hiring a graduate intern but wondered what the benefits were? As a graduate recruitment consultant, I can tell you.

Here are my top six reasons you should think about hiring a graduate intern:

Keen to learn and progress

Do you remember when you graduated? How excited and motivated were you to succeed? Well this trend certainly hasn’t bucked within the latest generation of grads. In fact graduates are still, if not even more determined to succeed within their role, especially when working in a paid internship. In a time were current figures suggest Millennials are worse off during their 20s than their predecessors, going the extra mile whilst in an internship is even more paramount when trying to secure a full-time position.

Ability to grow the business organically

More than likely your advertised internship is potentially a new graduate’s first ‘proper’ job, meaning you'll have the opportunity to shape them in whichever way you need so they become part of your company's culture. Graduates are often referred to as a “blank canvas” and, having developed a habit for learning, will seek to learn further in their working environment.

Comfortable with new technologies

One of the biggest advantages of hiring a recent graduate is their ability to learn and adapt to new technologies, especially in an ever-evolving digital & social landscape. Not only are recent graduates learning new technologies within the classroom, they are growing up with access to information at their fingertips such as online gaming and social networks. Tech-savvy new grads can bring fresh ideas, tech skills and new ways to collaborate and do business, ultimately fast-tracking the success of your organisation.

Low cost

Don’t be fooled into thinking graduates are a cheap labour option: virtually all graduates know their worth. But a percentage are willing to compromise on salary in return for gaining key employability skills, training, and a direct route into a permanent position where they will receive a salary at the current market rate. It does however provide the opportunity for companies to hire a talented employee at an entry-level rate and invest in developing that employee to become a top performing star within their organisation.

Coming straight from university means a graduates' desire for learning is yet to falter. So when a new graduate enters the workplace, they are ready to learn new aspects of the business, whether they are directly relevant to the job role or not. If you’re going to have to train someone, it makes sense to train a new graduate who is accustomed to learning and makes learning a priority in their day-to-day activities.

Fresh graduate, fresh perspective

Graduates can inject some much needed fresh ideas into any organisation. New graduates tend to be extremely inquisitive, approach problems from different angles and are not afraid to ask questions and challenge choices.

Over the years we have placed graduates into a whole range of roles and sectors, from Telecommunications to Insurance to the NHS to the London Boroughs for our clients. Many graduates whom we have placed have gone on to flourish within their organisations and to lead teams, gain management roles and even senior management roles.

It can be easy to go for the more experienced hire rather than a recent graduate. However, giving a new graduate their first opportunity and investing in them could be a great decision for your organisation's future.